Today, the Senate approved the FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations and the “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015,” clearing them for the president's signature. The White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) supporting both bill indicating the president would sign the final bill. The House passed each bill separately, but the Senate combined the bills into on before voting.

The Senate approved the combined bill 65-33. Twenty-seven Senate Republicans joined 38 Democrats voting for the combined bill, while 26 Republicans, six Democrats, and one Independent voted against final passage.

Earlier today, the House approved the FY2016 Omnibus spending bill by a wide margin 316-113 as 150 Republicans and 166 Democrats voted for the bill. Yesterday, the House passed the tax bill 318-109, as 241 Republicans and 77 Democrats voted yes.

The $1.1 trillion FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, including al 12 appropriations bills, provides $548 billion for defense (DoD and defense-related spending base budgets (including Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy Energy (DoE) nuclear weapons program) and $518 billion for nondefense budgets.

House Appropriations Committee chair Harold Rogers (R-KY) said “the bill will strengthen national security and military readiness, protect against current and emerging global threats, and provide for our troops and military families.”

Funding in the bill for DoD base appropriations, less Military Construction, totals almost $514.1 billion and $58.6 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). These amounts conform to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.

The bill funds a 1.3 percent military pay raise authorized in the FY2016 Defense Authorization bill. DoD civilians will receive a 1 percent across-the-board pay increase and a .3 percent locality pay raise on January 1, 2016 as Congress did not change the president's recommendations.

Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding in the bill totals $167.5 billion. The bill provides $609 million more than the president requested to mitigate shortfalls in readiness, training, and depot maintenance.

Procurement funding in the bill totals $111 billion. Funding is included for: 68 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, 102 Blackhawk helicopters, 3 Littoral Combat ships, 2 attack submarines, 2 DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, 5 F-18E Super Hornets, and 12 KC-46 tankers.

Military Construction funding in the bill totals $8.2 billion for military construction projects. Family Housing funding for construction and operations of military housing totals $1.4 billion and addresses the need for more Air Force housing. The bill also includes $623 million for construction and improvement to military medical facilities and $334 million for work to be performed at DoD Education activities worldwide. Funding for Guard and Reserve facilities in the U.S. Totals $551 million.

The combined bill extends or makes permanent more about 50 expiring tax credits. Notably, the bill makes permanent the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit for low and moderate income families and permanently extends the research and development tax credit. The bill ends the ban on oil exports, extends tax breaks for renewable energy, and includes reforms to the Internal Revenue Service. The bill also includes a two-year delay on implementation of the tax on expensive health care insurance, the so-called Cadillac tax.